Say goodbye to the days of frantic phone switches and lost chat histories! WhatsApp has finally rolled out a game-changing feature for Android users: backing up your chats and photos directly to your Google Drive. This means seamless migration between devices, stress-free restoration after accidental app deletion, and a secure haven for your precious memories.
What are the Benefits of WhatsApp Chat Backup?
- Convenience at your fingertips: No more relying on local backups or third-party apps. Simply connect your WhatsApp account to your Google Drive, and voila! Your chats and media are automatically saved in the cloud.
- Ample storage space: Google Drive offers a generous 15GB of free storage for your backed-up WhatsApp data. Need more? Upgrading to a Google One plan gives you access to more space and additional perks like file sharing and family plans.
- Effortless restoration: Switching phones or accidentally deleting WhatsApp? No worries! Simply download the app on your new device, sign in with the same Google account, and restore your backup. All your chats and photos will be back in a flash.
- Enhanced security: Google Drive utilizes top-notch encryption to keep your data safe and secure. Rest assured, your conversations and memories are protected.
Here are some additional details about the new update.
- The rollout is gradual: The Google Drive backup feature is currently being rolled out to Android users in phases. If you haven't seen it yet, don't fret! It will reach your device soon.
- Photos and videos count towards your storage: Remember, your backed-up media files also consume storage space in your Google Drive. Keep an eye on your usage and upgrade if necessary.
- Chat history only: Only your chat history and media are backed up to Google Drive. Other app data, like call history and settings, are not included.
How to Backup Your WhatsApp data to Google Drive?
- Open WhatsApp on your Android device.
- Tap on the three dots in the top right corner and select "Settings".
- Go to "Chats" and then tap on "Chat backup".
- Select "Back up to Google Drive" and choose your preferred backup frequency (daily, weekly, monthly, or never).
- Select the Google account you want to use for the backup.
That's it! Your WhatsApp data will now be automatically backed up to your Google Drive.
With this new feature, WhatsApp has taken a major step towards enhancing user experience and data security. So, go ahead, embrace the convenience and peace of mind that comes with cloud backups!
FAQs
Set up recurring backups
Should I back up WhatsApp to Google Drive? ›
WhatsApp backups are tied to the phone number and Google Account they're created with. WhatsApp backups that haven't been updated in 5 months might be automatically deleted by Google. To avoid the loss of any backups, we recommend backing up your WhatsApp data often.
Why is WhatsApp counting towards Google storage? ›
In the coming months, if you choose to backup your WhatsApp chats on an Android device, your backup will start counting toward your Google Account storage limit. If you go over the storage limit, you'll need to free up space in your Google Account to resume backups.
What takes up the most storage on WhatsApp? ›
Every picture and video sent to WhatsApp chats you are involved in takes up a bit of storage space. To check what's taking up the most space you'll need to open the WhatsApp app and tap on Settings in iOS. Meanwhile, on Android, you'll need to open the WhatsApp app, tap on the three-dot menu button, and then Settings.
Why does WhatsApp backup take so much storage? ›
Videos also take up a lot of space when backing up WhatsApp chats. Simply disabling the “include videos” option in the WhatsApp backup menu can significantly reduce the size of the backup data.
Is backing up WhatsApp safe? ›
WhatsApp provides end-to-end encryption for all personal messages that you send and receive. This makes sure that only you and the person you're talking to can read or listen to them. With end-to-end encrypted backup, you can add that same layer of protection to your iCloud and Google Account backups.
What happens if I turn off WhatsApp backup in Google Drive? ›
When you switch off WhatsApp backup on Google Drive, it will stop backing up your chats to Google Drive. However, the chats that were backed up before you switched off the backup will still be stored in Google Drive. You can switch the backup back on at any time, and WhatsApp will start backing up your chats again.
Why is WhatsApp taking up Google storage? ›
Google has started counting WhatsApp backups towards its storage limits. WhatsApp backups on Android smartphones are now being counted towards Google Drive storage, reducing the usable storage space for Gmail, other files and photos.
What happens when WhatsApp storage is full? ›
If the amount of available storage on your device reaches critically low levels, WhatsApp might not work properly. If this happens, WhatsApp might prompt you to free up space to continue using the app. To learn how to free up storage on your phone outside of WhatsApp, contact your phone's manufacturer.
What is the point of backing up WhatsApp? ›
Your phone can break or you can accidentally uninstall WhatsApp and lose your chats and pictures forever. Also, as an extra safety measure, make a manual backup of your WhatsApp folder every couple of months.
Deleted WhatsApp backups are permanently gone and cannot be recovered. WhatsApp backups that haven't been updated in more than a year are automatically removed from Google Drive and cannot be recovered.
Does deleting WhatsApp messages free up storage? ›
If you have multiple copies of an item saved on your device or across several chats, you'll need to delete all the copies in order to create storage space. Follow these steps to delete items: Open the WhatsApp Messenger or Business App. Go to the Chats tab, then tap More Options, followed by Settings.
What happens if I clear my WhatsApp cache? ›
You can clear the WhatsApp cache without worrying about data loss, as it does not affect WhatsApp chats, media, or other data. The major benefits of clearing WhatsApp cache are these: It will free up the storage space in your phone by deleting the temporary files.
Does deleting from WhatsApp delete from gallery? ›
When deleting from whatsapp it will ask for a option “delete media from phone “. If you check the box, the photo will be deleted permanently. If not, the photo will be still there in gallery.
How do I stop WhatsApp from taking up storage? ›
How to Reduce WhatsApp Storage on iPhone and Android
- Method 1: Disable Media Auto-download.
- Method 2: Stop Saving WhatsApp Media to Your Phone Storage.
- Method 3: Backup WhatsApp to a Computer [Recommend]
- Method 4: Move WhatsApp data to an SD card (Android Only)
The easiest way to delete multiple pieces of media is to do the following:
- Open a chat.
- Tap the name of the chat to enter the chat info screen.
- Tap Media, Links, and Docs.
- Select the media you wish to delete.
- Tap the trash icon.
Simply download the app on your new device, sign in with the same Google account, and restore your backup. All your chats and photos will be back in a flash. Enhanced security: Google Drive utilizes top-notch encryption to keep your data safe and secure. Rest assured, your conversations and memories are protected.
Does WhatsApp backup take up space on Google Drive? ›
With WhatsApp backups now factored into the 15GB storage space allocated by Google for free accounts, users must consider subscription options for expanded storage. Google One, the subscription service offered by the tech giant, provides users with storage tiers ranging up to 2TB.
What's the point of WhatsApp backup? ›
Backups include messages and media sent and received in communities. They also include updates shared over WhatsApp Channels, but they do not include media unless you are the channel admin. In some cases, all previously followed channels may not be included in back-up files. Learn more here.
Can I backup WhatsApp without Google Drive? ›
In the main settings, click on Chats. Choose Chats Backup. Turn off automatic backup to Google Drive, and then tap Backup. This will save your WhatsApp data to the SD card in your phone.
